The Indian Ocean World Centre, McGill University, under the directorship of Prof. Gwyn Campbell, invites collaborators to work on an interdisciplinary research project application entitled, “Climate Change and its Impact on Vulnerable Coastal Lowland and Island Communities of the Indian Ocean World, 1600 to the Present-Day.” This project is intended to last for seven years and to be funded by a Partnership Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
The project aims to:
- Use innovative technology-based tools on a vast trove of historical records and cutting-edge scientific method to create a data-driven ‘deep history’ of adverse environmental and climatic events in the Indian Ocean World (IOW), a macro-region running from East Africa and the Middle East to South, Southeast and East Asia.
- Gain an understanding of how such events have impacted lowland littoral populations of the IOW since circa 1600.
- Identify strategies and policies that could help these communities of the Global South, notably the most vulnerable―women, children, the impoverished, socially marginalised, ethnic and other minorities, and migrants—prepare for and manage future environmental risk.
A summary of the project can be found here.
As part of this project, we envisage collaborations between practitioners, stakeholders, and scholars from the humanities and natural and social sciences. We especially encourage interest from under-represented groups, and from those based in institutions in the IOW. Those who are interested in learning more about the project, should contact. Prof. Gwyn Campbell (gwyn.campbell@mcgill.ca) and the Indian Ocean World Centre (iowc@mcgill.ca). We look forward to hearing from you.
Indian Ocean World Centre 